It’s in their Blood – the Monegasque Royals & Sport

Last weekend, Pauline Ducruet of Monaco — erstwhile protege of Franco Knie in the taming of elephants — competed in the 1-and-3-meter diving competitions at the European Junior Swimming and Diving Championships, held in Helsinki, Finland. The event didn’t stand a chance to be in headlines over the weekend, not with Spain and the Netherlands battling it out for the soccer World Cup — which brother Louis was doubtless watching.

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Even the notices of the participation of Princess Stephanie’s elder daughter came a few days late. But while a famously footy-mad brother can’t be prevailed on to miss the World Cup final, a doting mother like Princess Stephanie wouldn’t miss such a big moment for her daughter for all the world. Wearing shorts and flip flops, the raven-haired Princess is said to have held her breath during her daughter’s performance, first achieving 19th place in the preliminary 1m and then in the 3m, where she sadly placed far shy of the top 12, at 22/24. Princess Stephanie didn’t drop her positive attitude for a moment, it has been said. The Princess was smiling, really beaming with the pride in the pictures.

Pauline is the 16-year-old daughter of Princess Stephanie by her first husband, Daniel Ducruet. She has been diving competitively for the past four years. In 2006, she represented Monaco at the World Junior Diving Championshps in Aachen, Germany. In the summer of 2008, she competed in the European Juniors in Belorussia.